Cyclone Zoe smashed into the
island of Tikopia early on Sunday morning, 29th December, 2002. Great
fears were held for the safety of the islanders who remained out of
contact for almost a week. This Web site examines the miracles of Tikopia
where no casualties were reported as a result of Cyclone Zoe.

An aerial view of Tikopia in which its volcanic
origins are evident.

Most villages are located on the flat area to
the foreground while

a lagoon exists between the two volcanic peaks
in the background.

The children of Tikopia welcome the first group

to arrive by helicopter after Cyclone Zoe hit
the island.

The flattened landscape of Tikopia.

Villagers on the beach, the morning
after Cyclone Zoe hit Tikopia.

Tikopians welcome the first arrivals
since Cyclone Zoe.

Despite great fears being held for
the safety of the people of Tikopia, they have miraculously survived Cyclone Zoe
by fleeing to high country hideaways that have protected their people for
generations. The islanders had survived by fleeing to the high country along
paths Tikopians had used for centuries during cyclone emergencies to shelter in
mountain caves from 370 kilometer per hour winds and gigantic waves which swept
across the low-lying areas of the island.

The first arrivals at Tikopia
expected to see hundreds of dead and festering bodies, but rather were just
overwhelmed with people running towards the helicopter. Every single person was
alive although they did have some problems with their fruit being ruined by the
storm and their water supply contaminated by salt water. The islanders said that
they had lost their homes and crops and would not be able to grow all their food
for at least the next three years.

Tikopians were adept at preparing
for cyclones. They have developed a unique style of low-built sago palm-thatch
huts with tiny doorways to prevent the wind snatching the structure away. Early
photographs indicated that many of these huts remain standing after Cyclone Zoe,
although the people had sought safety in the high ground.